Camper with Ramboxes

DirtyOffroad

New member
So I'm due for a new vehicle soon and probably going to go with a 2017 Powerwagon. One of the features I like is the Rambox option for the convenience aspect.

One of the reasons I'm considering a pickup is for the ability to carry a camper. The Powerwagon payload is fairly light so it will be something small but I'm not sure about fitment with the Ramboxes. Most of the slide on campers I see are straight vertical from the bottom up to the bed sides, so I don't see where they would interfere (other than not being able to open them because the camper is in the way).

Anyone done or tried this?
 

Huntv

Member
My previous Outdoorsman had the Ram Box and while I really liked the compartments and used them often, they simply will not be accessible with any slide in camper. The biggest problem I had with the Ram Box bed was the inside dimensions of the bed itself. The bed is boxed in with no wheel wells and you lose some square footage. My camper would fit in the bed (Phoenix pop-up, 4 feet wide at the bottom) but only had about an inch to spare on each side, making it nearly impossible to load. I eventually got rid of the truck and now have a 17 Powerwagon with the regular bed and I love the setup. I don't really miss the storage boxes and have zero problems loading the camper now.
 

DirtyOffroad

New member
My previous Outdoorsman had the Ram Box and while I really liked the compartments and used them often, they simply will not be accessible with any slide in camper. The biggest problem I had with the Ram Box bed was the inside dimensions of the bed itself. The bed is boxed in with no wheel wells and you lose some square footage. My camper would fit in the bed (Phoenix pop-up, 4 feet wide at the bottom) but only had about an inch to spare on each side, making it nearly impossible to load. I eventually got rid of the truck and now have a 17 Powerwagon with the regular bed and I love the setup. I don't really miss the storage boxes and have zero problems loading the camper now.

I hadnt though about ease of loading. My issue is that I'm very used to my jeep with inside, organized storage and my Quigley has a false floor with drawers...also very organized.
My initial idea was to build a 4" steel riser for the camper to sit on so the boxes would be usable
 

ripperj

Explorer
4" would get the CG higher and also make a pretty big Cabover/roof gap


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 

DirtyOffroad

New member
4" would get the CG higher and also make a pretty big Cabover/roof gap


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Agreed, Sacrifices must be made for what you want sometimes. I wont be doing 80mph with the camper on it so the CoG isnt a major concern for me. Likely some light dirt roads and stuff but no crazy angles either.
 

Stan@FourWheel

Explorer
The box and tail gate opening is really narrow on those trucks. None of the Four Wheel Campers will fit those trucks. Beware if you are buying the truck specifically for a camper. Take lots of measurements and make sure you’re talking to someone that really understands the challenges and dimensions of the Ram Boxes truck bed. Some campers might fit, others will not.
 

DirtyOffroad

New member
The box and tail gate opening is really narrow on those trucks. None of the Four Wheel Campers will fit those trucks. Beware if you are buying the truck specifically for a camper. Take lots of measurements and make sure you're talking to someone that really understands the challenges and dimensions of the Ram Boxes truck bed. Some campers might fit, others will not.

Camper is a concern but not priority number one. 99% of the time it will be my daily driver. Currently we camp in the quigley with no water, fridge, or lighting. We could easily keep that and make due but I'm trying to make the truck work double duty. My initial idea is to get a 38-42" wide camper (Palomino makes one, one other company too but I don't remember). I can build a small riser to get it high enough to use them and I will likely build a pull out staircase in that case.

I could also get a short tow behind and put a small lift and tires on it for our short excursions, but that seems like so much less fun than the turtle style camper. My initial inquiry was just to make sure I wasn't overlooking a concern with the ramboxes other than:
A) Width reduction, which isn't that much but I hadn't thought of the loading issue.
B) Not being able to use them with the camper on, which I can either accept or use a riser.

Both of those seem like acceptable issues for the added convenience most of the time.
 

tinbasher

Observer
an import camper might be the ticket, I think they need to be raised up to clear the cab over anyways, so would give you some clearance for the ram boxes. just might need to extended the jacks out to clear the bedsides
 

DirtyOffroad

New member
an import camper might be the ticket, I think they need to be raised up to clear the cab over anyways, so would give you some clearance for the ram boxes. just might need to extended the jacks out to clear the bedsides

As in something designed for a Tacoma/Frontier? That's my thought also because thats where I'll find the width that I need.
 

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